Protective gaiters are commonly used in conjunction with boots in order to prevent water, snow, small stones, or other debris from falling into the boot. Because these gaiters tend to increase the heat retained around the ankles and lower leg, they may often cause discomfort to the wearer when the protection of the gaiter is not necessary, particularly in warmer areas or during strenuous activity. Therefore, conventional protective gaiters are typically separate from the footwear to allow the wearer to detach the gaiter and cool the ankles and lower legs when the gaiter is not needed.
There are drawbacks to these products, however. In particular, they require a substantial amount of time to attach and detach, which causes inconvenience if a user quickly moves between areas that do and do not require protection. Some gaiters even require that a wearer remove his or her footwear entirely in order to detach the gaiters.
Although gaiters that are fixedly attached to boots have been proposed, they have drawbacks of their own. Specifically, they do not allow a user to remove them in warmer areas. Thus, a wearer cannot become more comfortable or cool his or her ankles and lower leg without completely removing the boot.
Accordingly, there is a need for a gaiter that allows for easy switching between protected and unprotected positions.